National Catapultry Association
Slingshot Forum - posted by Nathan Masters of Simple Shot Slingshot, May 2013
As our sport grows and matures it becomes increasingly important to make sure that it is represented in a manner that provides for security and longevity of the sport. In light of the litigious nature of our society and generalized fear surrounding weapons, it is incumbent upon us slingshot enthusiasts to make sure our beloved hobby, sport and lifestyle be protected for the future generations of shooters. At present, there is no governing body or guiding principles in place for slingshots and slingshot competition. As such, should an overzealous legislator or vocal soccer mom decide that slingshots are the next weapon that needs to be restricted, our sport could be radically changed for the worse with the sweep of a pen. With that in mind, it is high time we come together as a community of enthusiast's and responsible members of society to govern ourselves in such a manner as to provide legitimacy to our sport.
Once upon a time, there existed just such a governing body to represent the slingshot sport. It was known as the National Catapultry Association and was able to foster the growth of slingshots and slingshot competition throughout the USA. Founded by Rodney Wolf and Kent Shepard, the NCA acted to unify the slingshot community and standardize the format for tournament shooting. During that time, the advances in modern slingshots and hand catapults created the foundation for what we understand slingshots as today. However, by the late 1980's the organization dissolved for various reasons but left behind a heritage of slingshot community that survives today.
Our sport has in the last five years witnessed a renaissance of sorts and has quickly become a hobby and pastime for countless marksman and shooting enthusiasts. However, we have been missing a unifying element that guarantees the future of the sport- organization!
You may be asking, why do we need organization and governance?
- To represent our sport and pastime as a legitimate and socially responsible shooting sport like archery, airguns, and sporting clays.
- To provide a standard format for tournament shooting. By doing so, those in parallel shooting sports may be more inclined to become involved in slingshots. So long as each tournament within the USA or world is done in the local format, there will never be a way to quantify the skill of shooters from one tournament to the next. With standardized scoring our sport may witness more participation. Folks who like to shoot and like to compete, like to know how they stand up against other shooters. At present, there is no format for this assessment.
- To promote the sport of slingshots to an ever growing body of marksmen who have found their chosen disciplines retarded by cost, social pressure, or limited space.
- To teach the next generation of shooters the pleasure of marksmanship and the responsibility of safe handling of weapons
- To provide the manufacturers of slingshot sporting equipment feedback and help to guide their efforts to supply the community with what the community wants and desires.
- To show the non-shooting public a unified face of a legitimate sport.
The list could go on...
I have been in contact with both Rodney Wolf and Kent Shepard over the past year, learning about and discussing the NCA. With both of their blessings, they have given the community permission to resurrect the NCA once again. With the kind support of Kent Shepard, I have been able to put together a fairly thorough history of the NCA which I have made available here: http://www.simple-shot.com/pages/national-catapultry-association One can easily see that the community that existed before the internet was strong and organized. Now, with the accessibility of the web, it is even easier to manage such an organization.
The first step in moving toward organization is community. It cannot be done without community and community is the lifeblood of any organization. With that in mind here is what we propose:
Jim Harris of Performance Catapults and myself are hosting an NCA style side match at the 2013 ECST. Jim and I will be donating $200 in prize money and supplying all of the targets for the event, all out of pocket. The event will be open to all and a suggested donation of $10 will go entirely to founding the resurrected NCA. The format of the side match will be as follows:
10 meter
10 shots at 10- 2" diameter clay targets. You must break or chip the target to count as a hit.
20 meter
10 shots at 10 standard sporting clay targets. You must break or chip the target to count as a hit
3D silhouette targets
One shot per target. Bouncers DO NOT count
Eagle Eye- One shot on each target(standardized size TBD) at unknown distances.
More details to follow at the event
Scoring is cumulative. Top three places will split the prize money: First place $100, Second $75, third place $25
This format will be the testing ground for a suggested standardized format. All those participating in the event are asked to provide critique and feedback.
The goal of this event is to garner support for a standardized tournament format with which to promote the NCA nationally and globally. In doing so, the slingshot enthusiast community will be able to develop regionalized tournaments and national/international rankings.
This is just a starting point and neither Jim nor myself wish to manage or run this organization but we are eager to do all we can to support the community in developing the needed leadership and infrastructure. The organization's leadership must come from within the enthusiast community. Jim and I are here to launch the initiative and provide support in an advisory capacity. It is our sincere hope that the community will embrace this concept and carry it through to maturity. Our long range vision is a dedicated website for the new/future NCA, a group of individuals to lead the venture, and a supportive community founded in collaboration, fellowship, and fun.
This thread is intended to create positive discussion. If you are against organizing our sport, please keep it to yourself. The goal is to grow responsible awareness of our hobby and sport so that our sport can continue to grow and prosper.
See you all in Pennsylavania!!
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